One year ago, the NASA scientist Jesco von Puttkamer died with the age of 79. The senior employee of the US Space Agency lost the battle to a flu virus in his home in Washington DC on the 27th of December, 2012. He left his wife Ursula.

Jesco von Puttkamer will not be forgotten as an author, speaker and 1960s TV guest, in Germanz and the U.S. The complete development of Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle, ISS and the strategic preparation for the mars mission have created his legacy within NASA and youth interested in space exploration. The mediation between ESA and Russia is in thanks to him. The list of awards is long. Among other things, the former engineer, von Puttkamer, received the honorary doctorate and the professorship, became the distinguished German-American of the year, 2008, and an asteroid was named after him. Above all, the NASA scientist, who didn’t have any of his own children, supported one thing: motivating youth to science.

On the 4th of February, 2013, NASA arranged a commemoration in the name of the engineer, scientist and visionary. A twenty man delegation of students and businessmen from Germany was invited to an extensive excursion.

On the 22nd of September, 2013, the 80th birthday of von Puttkamer, international colleagues and friends founded the “Jesco von Puttkamer Society” and donated a plaque at his birth house in Leipzig and at his former home on Monte Sano in Huntsville, Alabama. Beginning in 2014 and following each year, the society will donate an award to young and science students. In September 2014, the first Jesco von Puttkamer Readings will be held. International scientists and colleagues of von Puttkamer will inform the young generation and interested people about the future of space flight and its use for the progress.

The society keeps the Puttkamer network alive, honors the legacy of the scientist, supports young talents for natural science and is the first contact for giving names, prizes and awards in the name of von Puttkamer.

The Jesco von Puttkamer International Team Award is endowed with USD $1000 and will be given to international committed teams on the April 12th, 2014 at the NASA Rover Challenge in the Rocket City of Huntsville. The International Space Education Institute - Leipzig, an association launched in part by von Puttkamer, will judge the award.

Today, one year after the death of Jesco von Puttkamer, international students and engineers have a meeting in their workshop Together they prepare for the NASA Rover Challenge by developing a mars rover with non-pneumatic wheels and electronically supported pedals in the home city of Wagner, Porsche & BMW. The workshops are regularly continued in Moscow, Venice, Neu-Delhi and Huntsville, AL. With their work, they bring the memory of a committed scientist to the future.

Today, the digital rollout of the first NASA Rover takes place in the name of Jesco von Puttkamer in his birth town, Leipzig.

Donation account:
Account: 209981005
Jesco von Puttkamer
Commerzbank Leipzig 86040000
International Space Education Institute

Source:
International Space Education Institute e.V. Leipzig
Jesco von Puttkamer Gesellschaft e.V. Leipzig,
Huntsville/AL, Moskau
Wurzner Str. 4, 04315 Leipzig

Text: Ralf Heckel
Translation: Nadin Rößler
Photos: www.spaceeducation.de 

contact: info at jvputtkamer.com

Huntsville/Alabama

Yesterday a second plaque for the German - American scientist was inaugurated at 6 pm. After a 1st plaque at the hose of the birth in Leipzig, this panel has now been attached to his living house from the Apollo era in Huntsville/Ala. In this house (1420 on Monte Sano Boulevard, on a forested mountain plateau with a settlement) the NASA scientist lived from 1962 until 1974. There were numerous scientific meetings were held after work , which resulted in the Moon landing at the end. Today the house is inhabited by a young science family. 

After a honorary speech about the reasons of this plaque, it was unveiled to applause . The guests were Frederick Ordway (Book Author), Heidi Weber Collier ( descendant of a family from the team of Wernher von Braun ), Jürgen Drescher (DLR Washington ) , as well as engineers, teachers and citizens. After that there were at beer tables sausage with sauerkraut and pumpernickel . The talks lasted until late in the evening. A 2nd meeting was on Monday oct. 14th. People from a school and the Marschall Spaceflight center came. It was a beautiful afternoon with coffee, cake and a glas of sweet Riesling Vine.

At the evening before the International Space Club hosted a dinner with over 1,000 guests in the USSRC Davidson Centre . Here, many scientists have been awarded in the name of Wernher von Braun. The former NASA administrator Prof. Dr. Michael Griffin and the Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recieved Awards. The motto was : Future Mars Human Exploration". Prof. of Puttkamer published in the previous year , the book " Mars Millennium Project .

The inauguration was organized by the International Space Education Institute. The plaque was donated by the Jesco von Puttkamer society.

Dim lights

more photos : http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceeducation/collections/72157632417603528/

Where:
House of Dr. Jesco von Puttkamer
1420 Monte Sano Blv.
Huntsville, Al 35108

When:
Thursday, October 10th, 2013 at 5p.m.

contact: info (at) jvputtkamer (dot) com
cellphone: (347) 225 4136 

Herewith: All friends, colleagues, readers, fans and supported Moonbuggy students of the NASA scientist Prof. / Dr. Jesco von Puttkamer are invited to attend.   A plaque will be unveiled at the former home of Dr. von Puttkamer wherein he resided during the Apollo era. This is the second plaque to be unveiled, following a prior inauguration at the birthplace of the NASA scientist in Leipzig, Germany on September 24, 2013.

Prof. / Dr. Jesco von Puttkamer would have been 80 years old on September 22nd.  He worked in Huntsville, Al after receiving invitation from Wernher von Braun to support the Apollo program beginning in 1962.  He had an office in the MSFC (known as the von Braun Hilton), calculated lunar orbits and planned the reusability of spacecraft . Later he headed a working group to repair the Skylab.  Since 1974 Dr. von Puttkamer moved to and worked at the NASA headquarters in Washington. There he helped plan and prepare the shuttle program and the construction of the ISS. He always was engaged in international cooperation with Russia.  He was responsible for orchestrating the visit of Sputnik designer Korolev's daughter to Huntsville in 2008.  But, his dream remained of Mars.  As a young science fiction author , NASA consultant for Star Trek and also of non-fiction books, Dr. von Puttkamer was published numerous times.  His last book, "The Millennium Project Mars" addressed a manned landing on Mars.

Since 2006 Dr. von Puttkamer came every year back to Huntsville, Al and supported the international league of teams participating in the annual NASA Moonbuggy Race.  During these returns, he would meet with U.S. students and international students at historical sites of the "von Braun team" in Huntsville.  These sites commemorate many who paved the way to the future and should not be forgotten.

The "Jesco von Puttkamer Society", founded September 24, 2013, consists of close friends and colleagues and also international students of the scientist.  This plaque is dedicated to the memory of this great scientist who was able to join and link the international world of aerospace.

Merits/Achievements of Prof. Jesco von Puttkamer

No scientist shaped our present and future as sustainable as Prof. Jesco von Puttkamer by his works
reaching over five decades telling of things between science fiction and science reality - between
vision and reality expectant.

1961 Engineering diploma for Mechanical Engins, TU Aachen
1962 Emigration to the United States, working at NASA during the Apollo moon program
1964 Studies on the reusability of the SBII stage of the Saturn V moon rocket
Professional engineer graduate of the State of Alabama
1973 Head of the working group for the repair of the Skylab
1974 Head of the Strategic Planning Working Group of the permanent development of the universe
1975 Employee of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, preparation of crews
Moving to Washington, NASA Headquarters, Space Operation Mission Directorate
Involved in the planning and construction of the Space Shuttle
1976 Recruiting officer for the Space Shuttle Astronaut Corps
1978 NASA scientific consultant for Star Trek - The Movie (1979)
1983 Honorary Professor at the University of Applied Sciences Aachen (to 2000)
1996 Honorary Doctor of Philosophy, University of Saarbrücken
1998 Start of daily status reports of the ISS to the Congress, White House and Industry
2005 Advisory Board Chairman of the International Space Education Institute of Leipzig (until
recently) since then daily use for young researchers in Germany
2004 "Exceptional Service Medal" by NASA
2007 "NASA Honor Award" for good development of co-operation with Russia
2009 "Distinguished German-American of the Year", Philadelphia (GAHFUSA, Bush, Griffin)
2011 Name-giving of the asteroid "266725 Vonputtkamer" in recognition of the JPL (NASA)
2012 Since 1990, highly sought-after speaker on schientific conferences and congresses in
(Huntsville / USA, Germany, Austria, Moscow)
2013 highly doted commemoration by NASA (4.2.2013)

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Links:Fotos-Leipzig-commemoration-obituary

Eröffnung der Fotoausstellung

Anlässlich des 20. Jubiläums der Städtepartnerschaft Leipzig-Houston in diesem Jahr präsentiert der Verein Städtepartnerschaft Leipzig-Houston e.V. eine Fotoausstellung „Über die Grenzen Hinaus – Across All Borders“ mit eigens von der NASA bereitgestellten Fotos. Die Ausstellung ist vom 7. Oktober bis 15. November 2013 in der Volkshochschule Leipzig, Löhrstraße 3 - 7, im 1. Obergeschoss (Mo-Fr 8 -22 Uhr, Sa 8 - ca. 18 Uhr) zu sehen, und ist eine Zusammenarbeit mit dem International Space Education Institute.

Schwerpunkt der Ausstellung ist der Alltag auf der International Space Station (ISS), ein internationales Projekt der NASA, an dem Deutschland beteiligt ist. Gezeigt werden ca. 20 hochauflösende Fotos, die das tägliche Leben auf der ISS schildern. Die Fotos werden mit kurzen Texten in deutscher und englischer Sprache beschrieben. Prof. Hartmut Keil, Vorsitzender des Vereins, wird die Ausstellung eröffnen.

Alle, die sich für das Leben im All interessieren und Näheres über Leipzigs Partnerstadt Houston erfahren möchten, sind herzlich zur Ausstellungseröffnung am 7. Oktober 2013 um 18.00 Uhr eingeladen. Der Eintritt ist frei.

„Über die Grenzen Hinaus – Across All Borders“

Montag, 7.Oktober 2013, 18.00 Uhr
Volkshochschule Leipzig, 04105 Leipzig, Löhrstraße 3 - 7, 1. Obergeschoss
Eintritt frei

Das International Space Education Institute e.V. (ISEI) und der Verein Städtepartnerschaft Leipzig-Houston e.V. haben im Rahmen der Ausstellungsvorbereitung eng zusammen gearbeitet. So wurden Tipps über die Zusammenstellung und Quellen der Fotos gegeben. Aus dem Fundus des Space Institutes sind ausgestellt: Yvonne´s Botschafter-Raumanzug (echter ISS-Pinguin-Suit), Raumfahrtnahrung, ein Fisher Space Pen mit Druckpatrone, die Kopie der im Weltraum geflogenen Olympiabewerbung Leipzigs, ein Ersttagsbrief "80 Jahre Jesco von Puttkamer". Erwartet wird auch noch ein Stück im Weltraum mitgeflogener Würchwitzer Milbenkäse.

Am 17. Oktober 2013 hält das International Space Education Insitute im Rahmen dieser Ausstellung eine Vorlesung in der Volkshochschule: "Erlebnisse vom Bord der ISS - aus dem Tagebuch der Anousheh Ansari, Jesco von Puttkamer und Kosmonauten". Der Vortrag beruht auf persönlich erzählten Erlebnissen nach zahlreichen privaten Gesprächen mit Astronauten, Kosmonauten und deren Ingenieuren. Es tragen vor: Ralf Heckel (Vorsitzender ISEI), Yvonne Heckel (Space Camp Botschafterin Deutschlands).

"Erlebnisse vom Bord der ISS - aus dem Tagebuch der Anousheh Ansari, Jesco von Puttkamer und Kosmonauten"

Donnerstag, 17.Oktober 2013, 17.00 Uhr
Volkshochschule Leipzig, 04105 Leipzig, Löhrstraße 3 - 7, 
Eintritt frei